London's Big Ben gets a polish from abseiling cleaners

The clockface of Big Ben in Westminster, London will shine brighter today
after receiving a specialist polish from a team of abseilers

1:27PM BST 18 Aug 2014

One of London's most famous landmarks, Big Ben, was given its annual clean this week.

The clock hands were frozen at 12:00 as four cleaners scaled the clock face.

Abseiler Paul Harrison said: "It's one of the pinnacles for any abseiler to be cleaning such a famous structure."

It will take Mr Harrison's team almost a day to clean each of the clock's four faces.

The tower, officially called the Elizabeth Tower but known to most as Big Ben after the bell inside, stands at the north end of the Palace of Westminster, the meeting place of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, and is one of the most recognisable structures in the world.